SPOILER ALERT!
I will admit that when I saw the previews for Jurassic World I had my doubts. Chris Pratt nailed the character of Star Lord in Marvel’s smash hit Guardians of the Galaxy so it was a no-brainer to make him the star for another action franchise. I had no idea that it would be the next Jurassic Park film.
Pratt plays Owen Grady, a rugged raptor wrangler who knows animals. He is a certified bad ass. Claire is the park director adequately played by Bryce Dallas Howard. Let’s be honest, being the daughter of Ron Howard can take you only so far without acting chops. Before this film she was in Twilight: Eclipse, Lady in the Water, and Terminator: Salvation so it was important for her career that this movie succeeded, and it did.
Pratt and Claire play the romantic leads in this film with decent chemistry showing between them. She’s the stuffy white collar exec and he’s the rough blue collar man’s man. We find out that their first date was awful and working together is awkward for them as you would expect.
The park’s research team bred a new dinosaur called the Indominus Rex that is smart, can camouflage, and hide from thermal sensors. It tricks its captors in to allowing it to escape and it goes on a rampage. Meanwhile, Claire’s two nephews are enjoying the park until they come across the Rex and almost die. Grady and Claire go out looking for them and thus the adventure officially begins.
Along the way flying dinosaurs are set loose, the park owner dies, people are eaten, and a plan is hatched to use the raptors Owen is training to catch the Rex. A man named Hoskins takes over when the owner is killed and brings in a private security force. They meet the same fate as the dead park security when they try and take on the escaped killer dinosaur. It’s the idea of Joskins to use the raptors to go after it as a field test for military usage, but unbeknownst to our heroes it’s raptor DNA that’s the hidden in their genetically modified dinosaur. It takes control of the raptors as their alpha.
After escaping the raptors it’s time for the finale. Claire, Grady, and her two nephews are trapped by the Rex until the raptors return and side with Owen, their original alpha. Just when things look their worst Claire goes and does something stupidly awesome. She has the T-Rex paddock opened remotely and lures it in to battle with the Indominus Rex. With the help of the one remaining raptor – and a HUGE aquatic dinosaur – they defeat it.
We are left with the idea that Claire and Owen are a couple, and the final shot of the T-Rex overlooking the empty park, giving a mighty roar.
I liked this film, a lot. It had enough action that it kept me interested. The Mosasaur feeding was just a phenomenal shot all around and it truly felt like the park was real in every shot. I recommend watching this film for the dinosaur battles alone. When you add the awesomeness of every Chris Pratt scene with those you have a great film.